PORTSMOUTH. A city and the of Scioto County, O.. 100 miles cast-southeast of Cincinnati and equally distant to the south from Columbus: at the junction of the Ohio and Scioto rivers, and the terminus of the Ohio Canal, and on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern, the Norfolk and Western, and the Chesapeake and Ohio railroads (Map: Ohio, D S). Several steamboat lines add to the transportation fa cilities. Situated on a plain in a produc tive agricultural section with considerable mineral wealth, the city is an important in dustrial and commercial centre. It has a pub lic library and the Hamilton Peebles Reading Room. a City Hospital. and homes for old ladies and children. There are several attractive Grandview, Millbrook, Tracy, York, and Athletic. The Scioto Valley is famous among arehurologists for the many remains of the Mound Builders.
The manufacturing interests of Portsmouth are developing rapidly, its various industries, in the census year 1900, having invested capital to the amount of $4.114.000 and products aggre gating in value $7,533,000. There are shoe fac
tortes, fire-brick, paving and building brick plants, stove and range works, car shops, planing mills, foundries and machine shops, furniture and veneering factories, hub and spoke works, stone saw mills, rolling mills, paper box factories, a brewery, and a distilling and rectifying plant. The government is administered by a mayor, elected every two years, and a unicameral council. Most of the subordinate officials are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, or elected by that body. The following important officers, however, are chosen by popular vote: the board of public service, having in charge the business management of the city; city solicitor, city au ditor, city treasurer, members of the school board, ward assessors, and justices of the peace. The water-works and electric light plant are owned by the municipality. Portsmouth was settled in 1S03, and was incorporated in 1814. Population, in 1890, 12,394; in 1900, 17,870.